[Exclusive Interview] Gwangsoo is steadily preparing for his birthday live show ”It's My Life”! ”Live your own life. That means not wavering.”

Celebrating the 15th anniversary of his Japanese debut, we interviewed Gwangsoo of "Supernova (SUPERNOVA)", who is active as a solo singer and actor. In the interview,
He spoke about the live show, the highlights of Supernova's live shows, and projects he's working on for 2026.
Q. In 2025, you will have a musical, a birthday live show and "Supernova
With the live concert of "Yoongi", you must be busy preparing for it, but do you feel that you are fulfilled? Gwangsoo: Yes. I love my job so much that I would be useless if I wasn't working.
I am a very enthusiastic person, so I am very grateful to be able to work on so many projects one after another. For example, if someone asked me right now, "Are you happy?", I would answer without thinking for even a second,
I'm so happy that I can say, "Yes, I'm happy." Q. Do you feel like you have the space to still fill your schedule?
Gwangsoo: I feel like I have plenty of room to maneuver, and mentally I can still go on (laughs).
Q. You will have a birthday live on your birthday, April 22nd, and the day before. Can you tell us why you chose the title "It's My Life"?
Gwangsoo: I hope I can deliver the true Kim Gwangsoo to everyone who comes to this concert.
I want to show a stage performance that only I can do now, both in terms of the stage and overall performance... And I hope to continue to be on stage in the future.
I'm starting a second career so that I can achieve that. I'll be in my 40s in two years, so I want to continue my activities as an artist in the future.
I want to show my polished appearance... That's what my life is now, so I decided on this title. Q. Are your preparations going well?
Gwangsoo: It's going well. The set list is already decided and the concept is my own.
I have a clear image in my mind. All that's left now is to talk with the staff, practice hard, and put together the stage, so I'm really looking forward to it. Last year, I performed for the first time for about an hour and a half.
I did a non-stop concert where the music never stopped, and I really liked the set list. When that concert ended, I wondered if I could do another concert.
I was so satisfied with the high level of completion that I thought, "What if we can't do a concert that surpasses that?" But I thought that the April concert would be able to surpass that.
Q. You wrote on social media, "It's a secret, but I'll be performing a new song." What kind of song is it?
Gwangsoo: It's a very sweet song.
Most of the songs I've released so far have been love songs. Or songs about moving forward in life and working together to do our best, but this time the songs are more of a love song.
This song is in a genre that we've never shown you before, so I think it's something that fans can look forward to and will be 100% satisfied with.
I've actually always wanted to try out this genre, and it's only now that I'm 38 that I'm finally able to show it to everyone. It's taken a long time to get to this point.
(laughs) Personally, it's a genre of music I often listen to, but it's like American pop music, something that I think the listeners can get into the rhythm of and enjoy at a live performance.
It's a song that you can enjoy 24 hours a day... when you're going to work in the morning, when you're coming home from work, or when you feel like meeting someone... It's an easy-to-listen-to song.
Q. In keeping with the title "It's My Life," is there anything you do to live your own life?
Gwangsoo: I guess it's about not wavering. I used to be able to do what I think is right or what I want to do, and I was able to do it to the end.
I've been doing it since then, and I think I'm who I am now because I've been doing it with that mindset. However, I've also experienced failures by working with Gwangsoo, which has always been unwavering.
I don't know how much I've grown, but I think I've grown a little. Q. You've lived a fulfilling life, but have you always been a person who was not good at talking to people?
Gwangsoo: I didn't plan my life, but I did have a vague image of the kind of man I wanted to be in my 30s.
I'm not sure if I should say I'm grateful to God, but I think I'm living my life in a way that's close to how I imagined it would be. I've got two more years until I'm in my 40s, and I'm looking forward to it.
Q. I'm sure you've met many people up until now, but who is the person who has had the deepest influence on your life?
Gwangsoo: There are so many that I can't even count them all...
In 2015, I participated in a play called "Nounai Poison Berry" and the lead role was played by Hayato Ichihara. During the rehearsal, he said to me, "I'm going to pay for the tickets to the play we're preparing now.
Can you really show it to the audience with confidence? Everyone?' I was really touched by those words. Not just on stage, but in live performances.
And releasing albums and photo books and things like that cost money, and I have to prepare hotels and bullet trains to go to concerts and performances, and I have to take time off work.
I have to be confident in the performance, and people come to the venue with all sorts of thoughts.
I wondered if I could show that... After hearing those words, I think I have a much stronger sense of responsibility than before, whether it be in concerts with other members, solo concerts, or in plays.
I feel a strong responsibility to respond to the expectations of everyone who comes to see the show and to make them feel truly happy that they came here and that they are happy to have purchased this item.
I can't help but wonder. The set list was full of songs that reminded me of the past, and many songs that made me think, "Ah, here it comes, this is Supernova."
I am so confident that I don't mind everyone's expectations. Q. I was watching a bit of the stills shoot earlier, and I was wondering, "With this light, you can shoot that outfit."
Wouldn't the decoration be good?" I had always been interested in directing or coming up with creative ideas.
Gwangsoo: Actually, I wasn't the type to say my ideas before. I was a player, and I was the cameraman and the MV director.
The director of photography and everyone else are professionals, aren't they? As a professional player, I performed the performance I was entrusted with perfectly, and the professional cameraman also did his job perfectly.
So I don't really say anything myself, because I'm worried that I might get in the way by interfering, or that I might cause trouble by saying something.
When I see the members shining on stage just as I imagined, I feel happy as if it were me. Q. Having such experiences broadens your horizons, doesn't it?
Gwangsoo: I think that's true. If it was me in the past, I probably would have stuck to my own style. For example, the stage direction of Geonil
If I had been entrusted with this role, I would have wanted Gwangsoo to be Geonil, rather than making the most of Geonil's charm. But now that I can look at it objectively, I think I know what Geonil would do best.
I think that I was able to direct the performance while thinking about what kind of Geonil fans would like to see shine and what kind of Geonil they like the most.
The video production for "Supernova" was a lot of fun, and I was thinking about how it would be good to do it this way, and how everyone would be happy if I did it this way.
Q. I'm looking forward to the live in April. Is there anything new you want to try in the future? Gwangsoo: Actually, there is one project I want to do in 2026.
I want to create it all by myself and deliver it to everyone, and I am currently working on it, but I think it will be a new challenge for me.
Putting that aside, I hope to deliver it to you all safely, and I want to tell you to look forward to it. The truth is, the idea for this project came to me two weeks ago.
It was a while ago... I thought I'd give it a try, so I acted on it the next day, and now it's kind of shaped up. There are still a lot of things I need to overcome, but personally,
I'm looking forward to it. And another thing is, I hope to play a dark character in 2025. Q.
Your birthday is in April. If you were to buy yourself a present, what would you like to give?
Gwangsoo: Actually, I just bought myself a present recently (laughs). It was an early birthday present, but I've been really into tumblers lately, so I bought a tumbler from my favorite brand.
I'm the type of person who can't be satisfied unless I have all the items, so I bought a tumbler. I have so many of them now that I'm thinking of changing them depending on my mood on stage. Last year, I was obsessed with glasses.
Before I went to the army, I used to reward myself with big presents like cars, but now I think, "I wonder if I can use this on stage?"
So I started buying more things. I started to reflect on my past and save money (laughs). Q. Lastly, please give a message to your fans.
Gwangsoo: How will I be able to meet you all again in 2025, and how will I be able to provide you with the kind of entertainment that only I can provide?
I'm personally really looking forward to it. And although there are still things I haven't been able to announce, I have quite a few projects that I think everyone will be saying, "I've been waiting for this!"